Police Reopen I-285 After Fatal 3 Vehicle Accident

I-285 in Cobb County was reopened early Sunday afternoon after being briefly closed to reenact the fatal three-vehicle collision that occurred last Thursday. The highway had been closed from 8 a.m. Sunday morning until the afternoon so police could try to identify who made the first illegal lane change and caused the accident. The police had announced that due to conflicting reports from witnesses, they had been unable to adequately identify who was at fault in the car accident. The police initially believed that one of the cars, a 1997 Toyota Tacoma Pickup truck, rolled but were unsure which vehicle initiated first contact.

The three vehicles involved in the accident were a white 2006 semi tractor-trailer, a black 2006 Lexus GS430, and the aforementioned Toyota pickup. Although it is unknown who initiated the accident, according to the Examiner, the police have pieced together that the Lexus collided with both the semi tractor-trailer and the pickup. The driver of the pickup sustained minor injuries while his passenger died at the scene of the accident. Neither the driver of the tractor trailer or Lexus sustained any injuries. No charges have been filed so far.

The accident took place last Thursday at around 4:20 p.m. in Cobb County just west of the Chattahoochee bridge. Following the crash, traffic became severely clogged as the police were forced to close off the highway while they gathered witness statements. The interstate remained closed for an hour-and-a-half immediately following the car accident.